EMPLOYMENT (SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHER)
If you are a researcher who is planning on working in an Irish research institution, you may be eligible to participate in a Hosting Agreement Scheme for accredited research organisations.
The accreditation of research organisations is managed by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. Once accredited, the Irish Universities Association (IUA) based Euraxess Ireland manages operation of a central online processing system for hosting agreements, and the day to day operation of the scheme approving hosting agreements issued by accredited institutions via the online system on behalf of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. The central processing system for Hosting Agreements is directly linked to the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB).
Some researchers are included in the eligible categories of employment for Critical Skills Employment Permit purposes or might avail of the Atypical Working Scheme.
You must obtain a visa unless you are visa-exempt. See Employment (Scientific Researcher) visa.
VISITING ACADEMIC
Visiting academic (Stamp 0)
You may apply for permission to live and work in Ireland as a visiting academic or researcher for up to a maximum of 12 months. As a visiting academic you must be paid from outside the State.
To be eligible for this permission it is necessary to:
- have the ability to support yourself financially, or a sponsor that will cover all costs,
- be paid from outside the state,
- have no access to public funds while residing in the State as a Visiting Academic.
EMPLOYMENT (SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHER)
| Where and how to apply | The Researchers Directive (Council Directive 2005/71/EC) provides for a fast-track permit, or a hosting agreement, for admitting third-country nationals, for a period of between three months to five years, to carry out a research project with an accredited research institution. Under the hosting agreement scheme permit, non-EEA researchers do not need a separate work permit. |
| Documents required | You must show:
You are not permitted to undertake other paid or unpaid work, other than that for which you have already been approved or access any public funds. Eligibility, the researcher:
Researchers arriving in Ireland under the Hosting Agreement scheme must bring an original copy of their Hosting Arrangement with them. The researcher is also required to register at their local immigration office/police station to work as a researcher (under stamp 1 immigration permission) after arrival to Ireland. EURAXESS Ireland provides advice and help to researchers, and is linked to a chain of EURAXESS portals across 43 countries, in the EU and associated countries, including 9 worldwide hubs. |
| Further information | Fast Track Work Permit for Non-EU R&D (Hosting Agreement Scheme) Third country Researchers Directive You must obtain a visa unless you are visa-exempt. Check if you need an entry visa: Visit Ireland – Travel Path. You can apply for an Employment (Scientific Researcher) visa up to 3 months before your date of travel to Ireland. Guide to the application process and supporting documentation: Employment (Scientific Researcher) visa. |
VISITING ACADEMIC
In order to apply for a permission as a Visiting Academic on Stamp 0 you must apply for pre clearance permission to Immigration Service Delivery.
| Documents required | You must submit:
The average processing time for applications is 4 months. If the application as a visiting academic is successful, a Stamp 0 conditional letter of offer, and an agreement form will be issued. This letter of offer is given on the condition that any required visa checks are met and is subject to the discretion of the Immigration Officer when you enter the State. When a conditional letter of offer is received and the correct visa has been issued, the applicant may travel to the State. Please note that entry to the State is always at the discretion of the immigration officer at the port of entry. Upon arrival in the State, the applicant must send:
to Immigration Service Delivery where the passport will be endorsed with the Stamp 0 permission. The applicant must then register this permission. |
EMPLOYMENT (SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHER)
| Family reunification | You may be accompanied by your spouse and dependants if you have been issued with a hosting agreement, provided that they comply with the same admission conditions which applied to you. Normal immigration rules regarding visas, entry and registration apply. Your family members will be granted residence permits of the same duration as the one granted to you. Your spouse or De Facto partner is allowed to access the Irish job market without an Employment Permit. See here. Before travelling to Ireland to join their De Facto partner on a Hosting Agreement, non-visa required persons will need to apply for an approval letter from the Preclearance Section in Visa Division. Visa-required de facto partners of hosting agreement holders apply for a visa only. See here. If your immediate family members intend to join the applicant in Ireland, and are also visa required, each member must make a separate application for a visa. Guidelines on making Join Family visa applications can be found here. |
| Long-term residence status | After two years on a Hosting Agreement, researchers can apply for a Stamp 4 immigration residence permission for a further two years, renewable after that point. This immigration status offers increased flexibility and makes it easier for researchers to move between sectors and employers without the need for any working permission or a new Hosting Agreement. Information on the period of stay is available at: Immigration permission/stamps - Immigration Service Delivery (irishimmigration.ie) and For Researchers | EURAXESS Ireland. |
VISITING ACADEMIC
Visiting Academics:
- will have no access to public funds while resident in the State,
- will have no entitlement to family reunification,
- are required to leave the State after the term of their permission has expired,
- will have no right to engage in other work while resident in the State.
EMPLOYMENT (SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHER)
Researchers with hosting agreements issued in another member states cannot use those agreements to work in Ireland. They are subject to Irish immigration regulations. Only a hosting agreement issued in Ireland by an accredited institution based in Ireland, through the online based processing system, is legally binding. Similarly, Irish hosting agreements cannot be used for employment in another country. A person must be physically based in Ireland while working under the Irish Hosting Agreement scheme.
In order to teach or conduct research in Ireland you must apply for an Irish visa (if visa required) and permission to work. This applies even if you hold an employment/residence permit or visa for another country.
Short-term mobility
Some researchers may be eligible for the Atypical Working Scheme if they are coming to Ireland for a short period for a paid internship, where the position is an integral component (i.e. required for graduation) of studies in an accredited institution (maximum 12 months).
You must make an application for a permission under the Atypical Working Scheme from outside the State.
*Note you may also be eligible for the Atypical Working Scheme to work in academia for up to 90 days.
VISITING ACADEMIC
No mobility rights in relation to visiting academics on Stamp 0.
Long-term mobility
Researchers with hosting agreements issued in another Member State cannot use those agreements to work in Ireland. They are subject to Irish immigration regulations.
VISITING ACADEMIC
No mobility rights in relation to visiting academics on Stamp 0.